Electronic displays used in electronic devices have a variety of different parameters that indicate the capabilities of the devices. For example, the displays may be rated based on their native resolution, refresh rate, and contrast capability, among others. Each of these parameters may impact the quality of a user's experience while viewing the display.
In some cases, other characteristics of displays may also impact the user's experience. One characteristic, in particular, is light leakage. Light leakage generally refers to light from the display that is unintentionally viewable by a user. Light leakage may be caused by mechanical pressure being applied to the display and creating a light path. The pressure may be caused be external pressure, internal thermal expansion, or a non-uniformity in the material itself, among other possible causes. Hence, light leakage may be more prevalent in displays that are fitted within smaller electronic device housings, such as notebook and tablet computing devices.
Testing for light leakage has typically included subjective visual inspection of the displays and rating the displays based on the visual inspection. As can be appreciated, this provided inconsistent results. Some inspectors may have been more sensitive to the light leakage than others and/or may have graded the displays too harshly while others may have graded them too leniently.